Energy management in 21st century: an inquiry into the mounting corporate hegemony over basic human necessities and the role of civil society as a countervailing force

In 21st century, as energy and food supplies are increasingly becoming dependent on each other, any strategy to manage these two basic human needs should be formulated collectively –not in isolation. The ‘green revolution’ of 1950s paved the way for ascertaining corporate control on food and water. Through the enactment and subsequent ratification of Kyoto Protocol, the corporate hegemony on air and energy has been established firmly. During last hundred and fifty odd years, a symbiotic relationship between the state and large corporations was developed. The transnational corporations are trying to break away from such dependence on state and emerge as the dominant force to control and manage the global market. This study tries to explain the consequences of this changing relation between the ‘state’ and ‘corporations’ on the food and energy needs of the citizens. It also analyses various issues pertaining to the energy supplies during the next few decades of the 21st century. The paper concludes that in future, the civil society organizations (CSOs) will play an important role in steering the course of society especially in the allocation and distribution of basic human necessities like food and energy.